Snowmen in Summer
by queenoffrozenfractals
Summary: The story of Elsa's life post-Frozen. A new villain, some old enemies, and a whole lot of adventure! Cover image not mine!
1. Chapter 1

The past year had been so busy; Anna and Kristoff's courtship, the announcement of their engagement. The Queen of Arendelle barely had a moment to herself. But now, Elsa finally had a chance to breathe. She gave most of the staff - the hardest workers - the entire month off, paid, and allowed them to enjoy the summer time. The queen was rather content with a few servants and Olaf, who'd become her constant companion.

That particular day, Elsa had settled herself in her room with a favorite book of hers: a collection of stories by Hans Christian Anderson. This one was about a mermaid who gave up her beautiful voice in order to be with a human whom she'd fallen in love with. She knew the grim ending, but the story of self sacrifice reminded Elsa of her sister, and for that reason she kept reading. The book reached its peak when there was a knock on the door.

"Anna," the blonde called with a soft smile, looking up at the familiar knock, "Come in."

The redhead skipped happily in, clutching something to her chest. "Elsa! Oh, Elsa, come look!" she chirped happily, causing the Queen to stand and rush to her. Her eyes landed upon the object in Anna's hands: a beautifully made dress, displaying Anna's favorite flower all over it. "Oh Anna, it's beautiful," Elsa breathed, smiling as she admired the fabric of the gown, "What's it for?"

Anna cocked an eyebrow at her sister. "Elsa... My wedding is in three months," she said, looking at the other curiously, "Have you forgotten?"

For a moment, Elsa felt like the world slipped out from under her. The wedding? Was it really that close? The Queen slowly felt panic begin to rise in her chest. She thought she had more time to prepare herself for the masses of people who would be at the palace. Though things had gotten better for her in the past year, the incident at her coronation ball still hung in her mind. Dignitaries from all over the world would be there - not just for the wedding, but to see the famous Snow Queen of Arendelle. Not only that, but the citizens of Arendelle would be attending as well. Thousands of people, standing there, wanting to speak with her...

"Elsa?"

Anna's tender voice broke Elsa from her trance for a moment. Snow had began to fall around them, and the temperature of the room was definitely colder. It reminded her of that day on the mountain where she'd accidentally frozen her sister's heart. The snow began to swirl, Elsa's eyes shut, and she began to tremble. Tears peaked in her eyes as she gasped for breath, almost doubling over as she grew dizzy. She could feel a scream bubbling in her throat, pushing its way to the surface as the snow swirled faster, and faster...

"Elsa!"

Her eyes snapped open. There was Anna, cradling her close, brushing hair from her eyes, concerned and trembling as she held her sister through her panic attack. "It's alright, Elsa," she murmured, hushing her and trying to calm her down, "I'm right here. It's all okay. I'm here. I love you..." The Queen's breath began to slow, her eyes closed calmly, and the snow vanished. The room grew warmer again. Her eyes opened. Anna was still there.

"I-I'm okay now," Elsa murmured, her eyes grateful though her body was exhausted. Anna could sense this, and she softly helped her to her bed. Laying her down, Anna gave Elsa a soft kiss to the forehead and squeezed her sister's hands.

"H-Hey, I can postpone the wedding i-"

"No," Elsa responded instantly, shaking her head, "Don't reschedule. Please. You've been waiting a whole year for this..."

Anna looked at her sister nervously. Searching her eyes, the redhead knew there was no changing her sister's mind.

"Alright... Three months it is."


	2. Chapter 2

Despite the upcoming wedding, Elsa insisted that the workers she'd already excused for the month continued to take the time off. She knew that she'd need the castle as empty as possible before the hoards of people arrived for her sister's wedding. She took her time, practicing her breathing, taking strolls (with Anna, of course) around Arendelle, trying to get herself comfortable with other people again. There were moments where Elsa cursed her parents for locking her up for so long - but she remembered why they'd done it, and she instantly forgave them.

The Queen was in charge of every detail. Anna didn't trust anyone else with her wedding except Elsa, which both flattered her and caused her to panic. It was all resting on her shoulders. _Take a deep breath, Elsa. You're going to be okay. Let it go. _She relied heavily on Olaf, because he was more party-centered than she could ever hope to be. The two of them were in the garden, trying to decide which flowers Anna should have for her bouquet.

"Oh. My. Goodness!" Olaf squealed in delight, taking a deep sniff of some white roses, "Oh, I know I say it all the time, but I just _love _summer. Look how beautiful the flowers are! Anna should definitely have some of these roses - Oh! And some carrots too! That would work!"

Elsa laughed softly, smiling at the snowman. "Perhaps we can pin carrots onto Kristoff's tux," she said, and the other smiled with delight. They continued on, picking out flowers and laughing. Anna and Olaf were Elsa's saviors. They were the only two people that she felt that she could relax around. The anxiety just blew away when she was with them, like it all had never happened. It was like she was the old Elsa again.

As the sun began to crawl below the horizon, the flowers were decided upon, and they would all be frosted over by Elsa's magic. She decided that would be a lovely touch, since she was also making Anna's veil and shoes. It would all match together. The two were turning the corner to exit the garden when one of the servants surprised them. "Your majesty," he said, bowing. Elsa gave a nod of greeting. "Your majesty, I hate to bother you, but it would seem one of the dignitaries has arrived for the wedding."

"But the wedding is still two months away," the Queen said in confusion. She and Olaf exchanged a glance as the servant walked off. Well, if anyone new had come to Arendelle, they'd be at the docks. Taking a deep breath to relax herself, Elsa told Olaf to go back to the castle to find Anna and tell her a guest had arrived. As she walked, she tried to figure out who on earth could be so early. It wasn't the Duke of Wessleton, he'd been banned from Arendelle. Perhaps one of the French dignitaries? He'd been rather sweet on her the last time he was here.

But when Elsa arrived at the docks, she saw no man at all. Instead, a woman stood there with shimmering blonde locks, her dress glittering with gold and ruby, her sleeves black as the tiara on her head. Even in the darkness, Elsa could see the fire in her brown eyes, the pink of her freckled cheeks, the confidence in which she held herself. _Another queen?_

"Meg!"

Elsa turned, watching as her sister ran past her and jumped into the arms of the queen. That fiery intensity vanished and the girl - who could be no older than Elsa - melted into a girl much like Anna was. "Annie," she said, hugging Anna close to her and spinning her around. Elsa stood in shocked silence, watching as her sister conversed with this stranger. When did Anna get to know another princess? From what she could tell, they'd known each other for years - at least, by the way they'd been chattering. Was this something she'd missed while locked away in her room all those years? Had this person become the big sister that Elsa was supposed to be? Was Anna the way she was because of this new queen? The questions made her head spin.

Finally, Anna noticed Elsa standing there with a dumbfounded look on her face. "Elsa!" she called, smiling. She took the other's hand and raced over to her sister, both of the girls smiling excitedly. Now that she was closer, Elsa could see the girl's long eyelashes, her pale lips, the soft glimmer in her eyes. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat, standing upright.

Anna took no notice of this, beaming and practically bouncing with excitement as she introduced the two. "Elsa, this is my best friend Queen Meganna, of Sesson. And Meg, this is my sister Elsa - the one I told you about!"

"Pleasure to finally meet the famous Elsa," Meganna said, smiling and bowing. Goodness, that was a beautiful smile. The curvaceous queen straightened herself up to look at Elsa expectantly. It registered in her mind, and Elsa fumblingly gave a bow back. With a small giggle, Meganna turned to Anna and smiled. "If I remember, she's your _only _sister," she chuckled, and Anna's cheeks turned pink.

"Right, right, you know what I mean," the princess said, nudging her friend, "Come on, let's go inside."

"One moment," Meganna said, excusing herself back to the ship.

Elsa took this moment to speak with Anna.

"When were you going to tell me that you were friends with someone outside of Arendelle - another Queen, too!"

"Well... It never seemed to matter," Anna said quietly, "She and I met at a fencing lesson when we were twelve, and we've been best friends ever since." Elsa opened her lips to respond, when the Queen in question returned with a smile and a man on her arm. He was tall, and though he was dressed in matching gold, red, and black, there was no mistaking those ginger sideburns and those dreamy green eyes.

"Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to my escort and number one servant," she said with a grin, "Hans Westerguard."


	3. Chapter 3

"_Hans_?"

Elsa and Anna spoke in unison, both shocked at the arrival of Hans back in the kingdom. "M-Meg, when you told me you had a man in your life, y-you didn't tell me it was _him_," Anna said, blinking at the prince-turned-manservant. She gave a glance to Elsa, who was already starting to breathe a bit heavy. Her mind rushed with anxieties, with worry not just for her kingdom, but for her sister as well. During Hans' last visit, he'd attempted to kill them both and take Arendelle for himself. Wrapped up in her worry, the snow queen barely noticed the small flurry beginning to form around her.

"_Elsa_."

Anna's voice paired with her warm hand soothed her. A heat washed over her, melting her snow, calming her soul. Clearing her throat, she looked at Anna and then to their guest, her eyes demanding explanation. "Your Majesties," Hans began, "I'd like to say -"

"Hans," Meganna stopped him with a gentle but firm tone, and he obediently (but apparently very reluctantly) went silent as she continued to speak, "When I heard of his execution, though I was many kingdoms away, I raced to the Southern Isles. Though what he'd done in Arendelle was unforgivable, I didn't think it equated to execution. So I tried to strike a deal with his family: I would take him on as a servant and put him to work to pay off his crime, then I would return him. They simply gave him to me, no longer wanting anything to do with him...

"He's been in my care since," she continued, looking up at him with a proud smile, "Working harder than any of my men every single day, not complaining, not asking for anything more than three meals and a bed. And trust me, Annie... I've been keeping a very close eye on his _behavior. _He's made a complete turn around. There will be no more 'Arendelle Incidents.'"_  
_

Hans spoke up now. "I would like to formally apologize for my actions," he said, bowing low as he spoke to the two sisters, "What I've done was inexcusable, but I do hope you can give me a second chance, at least for the wedding."

Elsa stared at him, blinking. Anna, too, seemed stunned into silence. Could it be true? Had Hans _really _made a turn around? According to Anna, he'd been kind to her before he even knew she was Arendelle's youngest princess, so perhaps it was true. Perhaps, when he'd tried to take their kingdom, he was simply overwhelmed with the opportunity, that it was spur of the moment, and that Hans was actually a decent man.

Then again, Elsa still had that uneasy feeling she'd had when she first met him. Something was... _off _about him. Like he was hiding something - a plot, a secret, _something. _Elsa had learned to trust her gut, and it was telling her that something wasn't right. She turned to Anna to request a private conversation, but Anna spoke first.

"Alright. I believe you."

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, eyes wider than they'd been, "Don't you remember what this man did to us? He almost killed you!"

The ginger princess took Meganna's hand and stood close to her. "I trust Meg," she said with determined sternness, "I've known her for years, she's practically family. I trust her with my entire life, and if she says Hans has changed, then Hans has changed." Anna stared at her sister, and Elsa simply shook her head. "Elsa, you have to trust me."

"He'll be under my constant watch," Meganna pipped in, taking a step closer to the Queen of Arendelle, "And your guards' as well, if you'd like. He's more than happy to help with any chore you give him."

Elsa was quiet for a moment, before looking back at the three faces behind her: Hans, his face surprisingly sincere, Anna, her face soft yet stubborn, and Meganna's, gentle and warm. There was something about that Queen that just... Made Elsa's stomach tie in knots. She lingered on her face the longest, then sighed.

"Alright, fine," she muttered, "But if I sense he's swaying - I'll freeze him where he stands."

* * *

A week had passed since Elsa greeted Meganna and Hans on the docks. Anna had barely left her side since, the two always laughing and chatting excitedly into the wee hours of the morning. She was glad to see her sister so happy, it was true, but the words kept echoing in her mind. "_She's practically family._" Elsa had no idea why, but whenever the words rang in her head, her heart ached. Perhaps it was the fear that she'd been replaced. That Meganna had become the big sister that Anna had always dreamed of, and now that they were together Elsa would be forgotten. This was silly, of course. Anna had sacrificed herself for her, and it was clear to anyone that she loved Elsa more than life itself. The bittersweet memory made her smile softly as she looked out over the balcony at Anna and Sven, the two happily leaping around while Kristoff laughed.

"Knock knock."

The Queen turned, surprised to find Meganna standing in the doorway of the balcony. The off the shoulder dress of red silk glittered in the sun where the black lace didn't cover it, her bodice snug against her curved form and her skirt fanning out ever so slightly as it moved down to the ground. Golden designs moved over her train, and the sight of the outfit made Elsa's simple purple and blue gown seem plain. She watched as the other came to her with a soft smile, looking over the balcony at Anna.

"She really loves you, you know," Meganna said, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear as she looked to Elsa, "Always talked about you. To be honest, I was rather nervous to meet you." Elsa noted the growing pink in her cheeks as she looked back to the group in the courtyard. She wasn't quite sure what to say. After all, she had no idea Meganna even existed until now. Before the blue eyed woman could speak, the other spoke again.

"And I want to thank you for giving Hans a chance," she said, turning back to Elsa, "It means a lot to him. He really does feel awful about the whole thing, he didn't mean for it to get so out of hand. He just got... swept up, you know?"

Elsa couldn't help but give a small smile. "I suppose so. Though, I must admit, I have seen an improvement in him," she admitted, "Whatever you did... It worked." Meganna laughed softly, reaching out to softly take Elsa's hands and squeeze them.

"Sometimes... People just need to be shown a little kindness."

With a small incline of the head, Meganna excused herself, leaving Elsa with knots in her stomach and warmth in her frozen heart.


End file.
